Office



(No Model.) I 3 Sh eetsSheet 1.

G. SMITH, Jr.

STEAM ENGINE.

Patented Jan. 22, 1884.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. SMITH, Jr.

STEAM ENGINE.

No. 292,264. Patented Jan. 22, 1884.

. xw-mw d e j? \\\\\\&\\\\\\\\\\\m ,-w//////////////% & V w

(No Model.) 2 3Sheets-Sheet 3. G. SMITH, Jr. STEAM ENGINE. I v No.292,264. Patented Jan. 22,1884.

m 1; Jr, 6% 3 2 0 I d r" 2 d2 1' j .0 n A f K J hi. %////////7///// JigI 'nim 'rwc IJ'mrEn Starts-.3

PATENT" @rrica A cnonens nrn, an, on nnwronk, N. Y."

STEAM-ENGINE.

.srncxrrcn'rron forming part of Letters Patent a... 292,264, datedJanuary 22, 1 24..

Application flled Ja 10,1883. (N0 mead.)

T 0 aZZ whom, it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE SMITH, Jr., ofNew York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-E11- gines; and Ido hereby declare that the followin g is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings,making part of this application.

My present invention relates to certain new and useful improvementsinthat kind of steamengine in which the main crank of the driving-shaft islocated within the piston of the cylinder of the engine; and it consistsin certain features of construction, which will be hereinafter morefully explained, and specifically pointed out in the claims of thisapplication.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use an engine containingmy several improvements, I will now proceed to more fullydescribe theinvention, referring by letters of reference to the accompanyingdrawings, forming part of this specification, and in which I haveillustrated an engine containing the several features of my improvementsas I have so far practically tested them.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of one of my improved engines,with the stufiing-.

box of the main shaft removed, however, for the purpose of showing theaperture in one side of the cylinder through which the main shaft andits crank are passed in putting the engine together. Fig. 2 is ahorizontal sec tion of the same at the linewm of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is ahorizontal section at the line 3 y of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a verticalcentral section at the line z z of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a vertical centralsection taken in a plane atright angles to the plane of section of Fig.4, or, in other words,

at the line to w of Fig. 4. Fig.6 is a detail view of the hollow orcylindrical piston-body detached from the restof the machine, for thepurpose of better illustrating the aperture or hole therein which isadapted to permit the placement within the hollow piston of the maindriving-crank.

In the several figures the same part will be found designated by thesame letter of reference.

A is the cylinder proper, which is suitably forms the lower head to andcloses the lower end of said cylinder, and B is a hat-like extension,the lower flange-like portion of which is ,bolted, after the fashion ofa cylinder-head, to the top of the cylinder A, and securely closes theupper end of said cylinder. 0 is the cylindrical portion of the piston,which is provided at the lower end with a head-plate or der A,.all assubstantially shown in the drawmgs.

The trunk-likeextension D of the piston, it will beobservcd, is notcylindrical in crosssections, but is of the form clearly shown at Figs.2, 4, and 5, and is of such shape that a portion of its interior surfacefits and works against'a portion. of the interior cylindrical surface ofthe hat-like extension B of the cylinder A; and within said trunk-likeextension D is mounted the wrist-pin or shortjournal I, to which isconnected, by suitable brasses or bearing-boxes, the upper end of ahollow pit-v man, H, the lower end of which is connected in the .usualWay of connecting pitmen to the crank G of the crank-shaft F, thearrangement and operation of the parts referred to being such that therotation of the shaft F is effected through the medium of this crank Gand the pitman H, connected to the wrist-pin I by the reciprocatorymotion of the trunk-like portion D of the piston of the engine. I Saidpiston has its shell-like portion 0 formed with two :dia-

mounted on and secured to the base A which metrically-opposite openingsor slots, ce,which are equal each in width to the diameter of the IOOpassed through said side of said cylinder, in order to permit theputting together of the parts of the engine in working order, asrepresented in the drawings.

The openingf in one side of the cylinder A is partially filled by thepresence of the shaft F, and the rest of said opening is covered by abonnet-like device, f, the external shape of which corresponds to theshape of the aperture fiand the internal shape of which is cylindrical,to permit the insertion within it of a tapering beariug-box,t1,(see Fig.4,) within which bearing-box is supported and works one portion of theshaft F. Around said shaft is placed an ordinary gland, g, which fitswith in the partf, thus forming an ordinary stuffingbox to keep thejournal of the shaft F steamtight. In the top of the hat-like extensionB of the cylinder is formed a cylindrical opening, which is closed up bythe screw-plug c,

and immediately beneath said opening (which is made to one side of thecenter of the circular top of the hat-like extension B) is located ahole in the top of the trunk-like extension D of the piston, whichlatter hole is covered by a screw cap or plug, 1), the size of which issuch that when the screw-cap 0 sh all have been removed the screwplug bmay be unscrewed from the top of the trunk-like extension D, and removedthrough the opening caused by the removal of the screw-cap c. The objectof this arrangement of holes and screw-plugs is that by the removal ofthe plugs c and b the interior of the trunk-like extension D may beaccessible for the purpose of getting at the gib and key to the upperend of the hollow pitman H to tighten its boxes, and also to supply oilto the cup or pouch a of the pitman, which supply of oil may be made tocompletely fill the interior of the pitman H, and also fill the said cupor pouch a. At that side of the cylinder A opposite where the aperture fis made is a cylindrical hole, through which passes the other end of theshaft F, and within which is arranged the brass box or bearing (1, inwhich the tapering portion of this part of the main shaft fits andworks, and in this side of the cylinder are also formed the steam andexhaust ports a a, through which steam is conveyed to and from theinterior of the cylinder, and to and from each end of the piston.

J is the steam-chcst, through which passes the shaft F, as clearly shownatflFigs. 3 and 4, which shaft is surrounded (after having passedthrough the steam-chest) by an ordinary stuffing-box, l1, and gland, 17,for the purpose of packing the shaft steam-tightin a well-known manner.lVithin the steanrchest is arranged a plunger-valve, L, the body portionof which is slotted out or made hollow longitudinally, so as to straddleand work around the main shaft F. The steam-ports c 'U and theexhaustports 10 w each alternately connect with the ports a a of thecylinder and the exhaust-ports w a: of the steam-chest, to which steamis supplied through the ingress or supply pipe at 3 The plunger-valve Lis worked up and down through the steam-chest and around the shaft Fwith a rectilinear movement, and by means of an eccentric, p, on saidshaft F, which eccentric is surrounded by an ordinary eccentric-strap,q, to which it is readily connected at s, the lower end of anupwardly-extending arm that is pivoted at t to a downwardly internallyprojecting arm or stud of the hollow plunger L, all as substantiallyillustrated at Fig. 4.

The general operation of the engine may be thus briefly explained. Thesteam being ad- -mitted to the chest, assuming the parts to be in therelative position seen at Fig. 4, the upper end of the piston is actedupon, and as the shaft F is thereby made to begin to turn theplunger-valve L is made to complete its upward stroke, thus fullyopening the connection between the upper steam-ports, v and a,respectively, of the plunger-valve and the engine-cylinder, and as thepiston completes its downward stroke the relations of the ports of thecylinder and those of the plunger-valve are so changed in a well-knownmanner as to cause the entrance of steam to the lower. end of the pistonand the exhaustion of the steam from the upper end of the cylinder, theup and down movements of the piston 0 effecting,through the medium ofthe pitman H and the crank G, the usual rotary motion of the main shaftF. ,7

By the combination, with the crank and trunk-like extension Dof thepiston, of the hollow pitman H and the employment of removablescrew-caps c and b, all in the manner described, I am enabled, it willbe seen, to readily get at the interior of the piston and thepitman-connections for the purposes already mentioned, and am enabled tokeep the bearings at both ends of the pitman perfectly lubricated, andthus avoid unnecessary wear, and this with the greatest facility.

I am aware that the hollow pitman, per 86, is not new; but I am enabledby the employment of such a piston, in connection with the perforatedtrunk-like extension D and perforated hat-like portion B of thecylinder, to provide means by which the pitman-connections may be keptthoroughly lubricated, in the case of a perfectly inclosed or incasedpitman, wrist-pin, and crank-sh aft, su ch as shown and described.

It will be seen that the shell-like or hollow cylindrical portion (3 ofthe piston is all cast in one piece, but with the two longitudinalslots, to permit its movement up and down about the crank-shaft, andalso with the lateral slot or opening, at one side only, of a propershape and size merely to permit the insertion and passage of the crank Gand its shaft. This construction of this portion of the piston, in themanner shown and described, (instead of making it in two parts,) enablesme to produce a piston which is stronger and more durable, and may bemade to fit and work within the cylinder with greater perfection ofaction than is possible in the use of a cylinder having this portionmade in two or more parts, as has commonly'been necessary in engines ofthis type, so far as any knowledge extends. The lateral opening in theshell 0 for the passage of the crank G is purposely made in the samedirection with the opening made (for the same purpose) in one side ofthe cylinder A, which latter opening is bonneted over in the manneralready explained. This relative arrangementof thelateral openings ofthe shell 0 and the cylinder A is necessary, in order that during thestroke of the piston the opening therein will not pass, at its uppermostor lowermost points, the corresponding points of the opening in the sideof the cylinder, and thus form a sort of passage-way or communication,which would permit the steam in the cylinder to get inside'of thepiston.

Having now so fully described my invention that those skilled in the artcan fully understand and practice it, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In combination with the inclosed crankshaft, the piston, andpitman-connection between said shaft and piston, apertures inthe upperends of the piston and the cylinder-head,

provided, respectively, with removable lugs or caps 0 and b, allsubstantially as and for the purposes described. I I

2. I ncombination .with the inclosed crank,

the trunk-like extension D, provided with the crank, G, a piston, C, thecylindrical shelllike portion of which is all made in onepiece,

and with two-longitudinal slots to permit the movement of the pistonabout the crank-shaft,

and with a lateral slot or opening to permit the insertion of the crankas set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my sealthis 21st day of December, 1882.

enonen SMITH, JR. [L s] In presence of- ABRAHAM WORMS, EDWARD LEDWITH.

G, all substantially

